Scan barcode
katewiilliiams's review against another edition
3.0
It wasn’t my favorite book ever but the fact that I finished it means something. I appreciated that it made me want to read. Looked forward to making progress on it.
Ended kind of abruptly and some parts of it just kind of frustrated me.
Ended kind of abruptly and some parts of it just kind of frustrated me.
scorebecca's review against another edition
5.0
Beautifully written, Juska's book tells the stories of people whose lives are affected by a mass shooting and centers primarily on the shooter's former writing teacher as she wrestles with whether an essay was as troubling as some students remember it. It is a hard read but a very, very good one.
Please don't let the length of time it took me to finish this book give you pause. The characters' circumstances made me so uncomfortable, so worried that I had to put the book down.
Please don't let the length of time it took me to finish this book give you pause. The characters' circumstances made me so uncomfortable, so worried that I had to put the book down.
larissamiller's review against another edition
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
sean_from_ohio's review against another edition
4.0
I really really liked this book. The author did a great job weaving through some serious emotional topics. Tragedy, anxiety, loneliness, loss, infidelity, parenting, ad so much more. I was moved multiple times and felt everything rang true. I only wished it had a slightly better ending. Not knowing what happens after (spoiler & spoiler) meet in person. Overall, a touching novel.
n0rain's review against another edition
4.0
This book was gripping! Juska did an excellent job of managing multiple characters with multiple storylines that all connected in the end. The language was beautiful and the dialogue was believable and realistic. There were a couple of spots where the figurative language overpowered what it was trying to do and pulled me out of the story. I also thought the last line could’ve been… different. The very last page was kind of underwhelming and I thought the ending was abrupt.
The story is told in a rotating 3rd person limited narration POV, which is challenging to pull off, but Juska does it beautifully. There’s an excellent balance between imagery, figurative language, and a twisting plot that kept me guessing.
Anna was my favorite character and by far the most interesting. Her struggles with anxiety and anorexia and very realistic (to the point where if you’ve experienced this, it could be a little upsetting), and I really felt like Juska did Anna’s struggles justice. I was on the edge of my seat for most of Anna’s chapters.
I actually had the pleasure of meeting the author recently, and she is a lovely person. If you’re looking for an engaging, relevant, and beautifully-written story, this is the book for you!
The story is told in a rotating 3rd person limited narration POV, which is challenging to pull off, but Juska does it beautifully. There’s an excellent balance between imagery, figurative language, and a twisting plot that kept me guessing.
Anna was my favorite character and by far the most interesting. Her struggles with anxiety and anorexia and very realistic (to the point where if you’ve experienced this, it could be a little upsetting), and I really felt like Juska did Anna’s struggles justice. I was on the edge of my seat for most of Anna’s chapters.
I actually had the pleasure of meeting the author recently, and she is a lovely person. If you’re looking for an engaging, relevant, and beautifully-written story, this is the book for you!
freemanamy's review against another edition
4.0
Before I even go into the review, I want to mention that one of the narrators in this book struggles with an eating disorder in case this is potentially troubling/triggering to you.
This is a different take on a story about a killer. It does not focus on him- his reason, methods, etc.- but the impact and aftermath of the shooting for those in his proximity. Some parts were slow, which is where the missing star comes in, but it is altogether quite readable. I would recommend it for someone who likes to read true crime, a teacher, a student, or anyone who enjoys a bit of a dark read.
This is a different take on a story about a killer. It does not focus on him- his reason, methods, etc.- but the impact and aftermath of the shooting for those in his proximity. Some parts were slow, which is where the missing star comes in, but it is altogether quite readable. I would recommend it for someone who likes to read true crime, a teacher, a student, or anyone who enjoys a bit of a dark read.
robinshtulman's review against another edition
4.0
Two books in a row about mass shootings. (This one and How to Be Safe.) Both focusing on the aftermath, both with smart female protagonists who also were teachers and had their lives and careers derailed, both good in different ways.
How To Be Safe has a more biting style, mixing in dark humor. There were times when I found it hard to believe the convincing female main character was written by a man. She was so real. McAllister portrays the hysteria and the fictions the media and the populace jump to following each one of the many gun tragedies our country has been going through. He takes everything you've probably been thinking and puts it all out on paper.
If We had Known has a slower, more serious, thoughtful pace. Following an attack and suicide at a local mall, people who once knew the killer search for signs they may have missed, ways they might have been able to prevent it. It's not long before fingers are pointed and someone is sacrificed so that the public can feel that someone has been held responsible and they can move on.
Both are about hysteria, falsehoods, sexism, and scapegoating. Both are very good and worth reading. Neither will make you feel any better.
Also: It is not good for me to read stories with detailed descriptions of anorexic behavior, even all these years later. The brain is a terrible thing.
How To Be Safe has a more biting style, mixing in dark humor. There were times when I found it hard to believe the convincing female main character was written by a man. She was so real. McAllister portrays the hysteria and the fictions the media and the populace jump to following each one of the many gun tragedies our country has been going through. He takes everything you've probably been thinking and puts it all out on paper.
If We had Known has a slower, more serious, thoughtful pace. Following an attack and suicide at a local mall, people who once knew the killer search for signs they may have missed, ways they might have been able to prevent it. It's not long before fingers are pointed and someone is sacrificed so that the public can feel that someone has been held responsible and they can move on.
Both are about hysteria, falsehoods, sexism, and scapegoating. Both are very good and worth reading. Neither will make you feel any better.
Also: It is not good for me to read stories with detailed descriptions of anorexic behavior, even all these years later. The brain is a terrible thing.
zecora27's review
2.0
This a slow slog of a character study, not a fast-paced reaction to domestic terrorism. Juska knows her way around words but the marketing of this book is doing her no favors. Finishing was a chore and honestly it wasn't really worth it imo. Some nice moments but that's about it.
laurenshikari's review against another edition
3.0
I liked the subject matter; it's a universal problem lately- shootings. I liked the variety of character opinions, but I felt there were a lot of characters; too many, most could have been developed further.